This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Critically injured by shots fired by the Trolley Square shooter, Stacy Hanson thought he was going to die. Then a paramedic uttered the best words he had ever heard: "You're going to be all right."
Just a few days after his terrifying experience, the 53-year-old Salt Lake City man is no longer in grave condition and already is eager to go home, according to his older brother.
"He's going to have to go through a long period of treatment to get his mobility back," Timothy Hanson said at a news conference at University Hospital, where his younger brother was brought after Monday's shooting. "He's got a lot of spirit. He's a tough guy."
For the first time, his family described publicly how Hanson crossed paths with Sulejman Talovic, who killed five people and injured four before dying in a gunbattle with police.
Timothy Hanson said his brother phoned his wife on the way home from work Monday to tell her he was stopping at Trolley Square to buy a Valentine's Day card. Stacy Hanson likely was in Cabin Fever, a novelty and greeting card store, when he was shot four times - in the pelvis, lower back, shoulder and side. It is unclear whether he will suffer any paralysis.
"I'm surprised he's alive," Timothy Hanson said.
He said his brother, a big man at 6 foot 4, is in pain but improving. Stacy has not mentioned being angry, Timothy said.
Stacy Hanson is a creative art director with Datamark, an advertising agency, and an outdoorsman who enjoys hiking. He is married with two stepchildren and a grandson. His wife, Colleen, is the principal florist at the Joseph Smith Building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to Timothy Hanson. He thanked police for quickly ending the rampage and the hospital staff for its treatment of his brother. He also extended condolences to all the families who lost loved ones in the shooting spree.
In addition, Hanson said his family's thoughts and prayers are with the Talovic family.
"We cannot know the pain they feel, but there is no anger in this heart, just sorrow for all who have suffered from this tragedy," he said.